Freight container anchoring device



Feb. 5, 1935. R. ELLls FREIGHT CONTAINER ANCHORING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 9, 1935 INVENToR /afobsdab Feb. 5, 1935. R. ELLIS FREIGHT CONTAINER ANCHORING DEVICE Filed Dec. 9, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORA Patented Feb. 5, 1935 UNITED STATES- PATENTS OFF ICE This invention relates to freight containers?. l To facilitatethe moving of-containerstheyfhave been.providedlwithwheels whichfniaybe retracted after the container hasbee'nbrought intoy position onlthe' flatcar, truck orother. carrying vehiclelso that they container. may. rest firmly and substantially immovablyon the latter.4 When itis desired to movethe containeroilsuch vehicle thefwheels' are extended'so as Atollift the body of the container.

clearY of its'supporting surface. `Thislinvolves the expenditure 'of considerablel work.

On'eofv th'eprincipleobjects ofthe present invention is" to 'accomplish the same resultsl as are obtainedcwith.retractible wheels with'less work.n

When'the containeris supported on/its wheels the body ofgiho container-"shouldn ai' waarmee' inchesabove"y the' bottoms `ofv the wheels toen'able the container to ride over obstructions and` to passV from a surface at one inclinationt-o asurfaceat.

205' another inclination, such asis necessary yin mov'- ing .the container 'fromlthe ground upfa raml'i'ontoV a platform. Thismeans thatthe 'entireweig'ht of' thecontainerg' exceptthat' of the wheels, mujst, be'.

u raised threefinches.' As containers, whenloaded, 251i" often weigh upwardsbof 10,000 lbs.;l this v'means considerable.workg"l g inch.A This'follow's fromthe'nfact that after the container has been lbrought into position on 'a i'lat car, rortruclr`,. the desired'immob'ility is'secure'd as"` soon as-the wheelsare clear of thef'sllpportingsur-K face. If the latter is perfectly flatthe container Wouldonly Vhave to bejraised'1/100 of' an finch. However, to provide for inequalitiesLinithejsupev portingrsurfacef thefwheels f should 'bej raised yhalf i aninchorso.' A n I Obviously nol work is required; v:other-thanv that required to'overcome friction andthe weight of :1 minor parts, to move a part ofthe container base from a `position three inches above the bctrtom `of the'wh'eels to a position level-,with vthe bottom of the'wheels, or vice versa. The onlyreal vworkfis after-such base part takes the weight'of the con`yv T taineroif its wheels.

Onesuitable form`of construction is illustrated by wayof example, in the accompanyingfdraw ings," in which; p

Figi-1 is lani elevation of the container `withA the` Fi`g.f2 is a section onlthe line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

4 is a 'section 'on 'the line 4-'4.of Fig. 3.y Thelcontainer comprises a top 10, outer end wams 1-1,1ourer side waiis- 12 and a bottom 13. 5.

Within'thevwalls 'of the container'is a frame comprisingunitary rectangular end frames 15 of angular cross-section, as rshown in Fig. 3, and bottom s'ide'frames 16, also of angular cross-section, as-fshown in-Fi`g. 2, unitedto the end frames by steel-:castings 17. Inner end walls 20 and inner sidewalls` 21 are provided' for purposes which will' be explained later.` A frame 18 of inverted channelcross section extends around the top of the container and closes the space between 'the inner and outer end and Asid'ewallslas well as stiffening thecontainer as a whole. I

In thel spaces'lbetween thelinner and outer side Wallsv are arrangedcentraHy disposed vwheels 22 of'l large diameter. mounted ffon-"1ixed^bearingscarriedV by the side walls. In thesame-spaces'near each endof the oo'ntali'nerisfa pair of*A 'castor 'wheels 23. l These'.- wheelsenablethe container to be moved around readily; -Whe'rihoweven itisdesired to anchor thejcontaineron a'fat car'orother support'for the container, the container is 'lifted oifitsv wheels; t Forv thispurposemeans are provided for mov-v in,r` a portion-'ofthe base-of the container down- 30' wardly'and upwardly with respect-to the housingffrom'a position above to a position below the bottom-of the'wheels,`I to lift the wheels out of contact with the container supporting surface and-preventf'iurther rolling'- -movement of the 35Y container. AAsshown, the movable part of the base 'of the )container comprises a T-bar 25 ex-v tending acrosseach end of the container. These T-'bars maybe raised and "lowered in a variety ofiways. i 40 One'of" thermost convenient methods is byA means ofpai'rs` of toggles 26 and 27. The upper' arm or flink ofl each vtoggle is connected by a bracket 30fto^the adjacentend frame 15. The bottomsofthe lower armor link of each toggle 45 is connected to a plunger 31 slidably mounted in one of` thecorner castingsv 17. The lower ends of these plungers are pivotally connected to the upstanding lflanges of the T-bars' by pins 32. The togglesv arev operated by shafts 35 having right 50 hand threads at one end andleft hand threads at the other. These threaded portions `of the shaftsv 35 engage nuts36 and 37 connected to the adjacent Vends 'of the toggle links 26 'and 27 respe'ctivelv'.A Rotation ofthe shaft produces move- 55 Thesev wheels are suitably 20 ment of the links 26 and 27 in opposite directions so that there is a minimum of tendency for the shaft to move axially as a whole. Should the container be loaded unevenly so that one end is heavier than the other the thrusts on the shafts will be unbalanced as the container is lifted off its wheels. There will also be unbalanced thrusts whenever one T-bar lifts its end of the container before the other. These unbalanced thrusts are taken by plates 40 held in position by pins 41. As the toggles straighten out the shaft 35,drops and to allow for this movement the outer end walls 11 and end frames 15 are slotted at 42.

The projecting ends of the shafts 35 are squared for the application of a handle or wrench thereto. It will be noted that the two shafts 35 on the two sides of the container are not connected for simultaneous operation, so that rst one end of each pair of T-bars are depressedand then the other. The pivotal connection between the T-bars and plungers 31 permits this method of depressing the T-bars.

The castings 17 in which the plungers 31 slide are formed with two side wings or gusset plates 45 and 46 integrally connected at the bottom by the part 47. The bottom side frames 16 are riveted to the plates 46 and parts 47. The end frames 15 are riveted to the plates 45 and welded to the lower part of the castings 17 at 48.

Beneath the parts 47 are arranged the castor wheels 23. Each of these wheels is carried by a pair of curved springs 50 secured to the lower end of a shaft 51 rotatably mounted on the adjacent side frame 16 by a bracket 53. At the top of the shaft 51 is mounted an arm 55 carrying a wheel 56 of the same diameter as the distance between the plates 45 and 46. lThis wheel is arranged so that its center is Adirectly over the point of contact with the ground of the midpoint of the castor wheel 23.` As the result of this construction whenever the castor wheel turns, i. e. changes its plane of rotation with respect to the container, the point of contact of the center of the castor Wheel with the ground moves along a line parallel to the side of the container instead of in a circular path with respect to the latter.. As the castor vsrheel-startsy reversing will not throw the ends of the con-` tainer laterally.

As the primary function of the castor wheels is to balance the container on its supporting wheels 22 and prevent teetering, the springs 50 are light. To prevent .these springs being overloaded, if not broken, and also to relievethe arms 52 of undue strain should the castor wheels for any reason have to take the full load of the containerglJ-shaped stops 57 are provided. 'I'hese stops are welded to the castor wheel journals and contact with the under surface ofthe part 47 whenever the springs 50 are compressed to a predetermined extent. v

The inner side walls 21 are provided to keep the goods carried by the container out of contact with the wheels 22 toggle arms 26, 27 shaft 35 and other parts.

The inner end walls are provided to give an unbroken inner wall extending from the bottom of the container, which isbelowthe top of the T-bars when elevated, to the top of the side walls,

which are above the inwardly projecting flanges of the end frames.

If it is desired to use the containers for perishable goods the inner walls may be made of plywood or other material of low heat conductively as compared with metal. In addition, cork or other insulation may be inserted between the inner and outer end walls and between such parts of the inner and outer side walls as are not occupied by the toggle mechanism, wheels 22 and other parts. Insulation may also be provided on the floor and underside of the roof.

`No doors are provided in the ends of the containers and hence the roof or top 10 is detachable so thataccess may be obtained to the interior of the container. A ring 59 is provided in the middle of the top 10 to allow it to be lifted off and replaced on the container. Rings 60 are provided on the sides of the container to allow it to be lifted as a unit when desired.

I claim:

1. A` freight `container comprising a housing including a rectangular frame around its lower margin, load-supporting, non-retractible wheels attached' to the housing and arranged substantially within the periphery of the container as a whole, a base portion movable downwardly and upwardly with respect to the housing and having a part extending upwardly through an aperture in said frame whereby said base portion is prevented from moving laterally with respect to the housing, and means for moving said base portion from a position above to a position below the bottom of said wheels to transfer the weight of the container from said wheels `to said base portion and thereby prevent further rolling movement of the container.

' 2. A freight container comprising a housing including a rectangular frame around its lower margin, load-supporting, non-retraotible wheels attached to the housing, base portions extending substantially the length of the ends Vof the container movable downwardly and upwardly with respect to the housing, each base portion having a part'at"`each' end extending upwardly through an aperture in said frame whereby said base portions are prevented from moving laterally with respect tothe housing, and means for moving said base portions from a position above to a position below the bottom of said wheels to transfer the weight of thel container from said wheels `to said base portions and thereby prevent further rolling movement of the container.

3. A freight container comprising a housing, load-supporting non-retractible wheels attached thereto, posts vertically slidable with respect to the housing, base portions secured to the lower ends of said posts, and toggles at the sides of and above the bottom ofthe housing for sliding said posts to -move said base portions from a position above to a position below the bottoms of the wheels to transfer the weight of the container from said wheels to said base portions and thereby prevent further rolling movement of the container.

4. A freight container comprising a housing, load-supporting non-retractible wheels attached tothe sides thereof, base portions including posts slidably mounted adjacent the ends of the containers, said posts being movable upwardly and downwardly with respect to the housing, a toggle adjacent each end of the containerfor moving said base portions by means of said posts from a position above to a position below the bottoms of the wheels to transfer the weight of the containers from said wheels to said base portions and thereby prevent further rolling movement of the container, and a shaft having oppositely threaded ends for moving the knees of said toggles towards or away from each other simultaneously.

5. A freight container, comprising bottom, end

and side walls dening a goods receiving space,.

thevlower part of the side walls being spaced inwardly from the outer margin of the container at the bottom thereof, load-supporting non-retractible wheels arranged within the space between said side walls and said outer margins of the container, base portions movable downwardly and upwardly with respect to the housing and means substantially within the outer margins of the container for moving said base portions from a position above to a position below the bottom of the wheels to transfer the weight of the container from said wheels to said base portions and thereby prevent further rolling movement of the 10 container.

RIDSDALE ELLIS. 

